Last week, House Democrats met at a leadership conference in Baltimore MD to discuss 2017 issues and their response to the Trump administration and the Republican majority.

(“House Democratic Caucus Chair Joe Crowley (D-NY) and Vice Chair Linda Sanchez (D-CA) spoke to reporters at the closing press conference of their caucus retreat in Baltimore. They talked about issues of party unity, their goals for the 115th Congress, and answered questions about their approach to the Trump administration. They also offered favorable reactions to a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling against the Trump administration’s request to remove a stay on the executive order on immigrants and refugees. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) joined the briefing in progress and praised Reps. Crowley and Sanchez for what she called a “remarkable” issues conference for the caucus“)

I’ve said to you over and over again: we don’t unite our Caucus. Our Caucus is united by our values. What was particularly rewarding to all of us here are the values panels that our Chairman and Vice Chairwoman brought forth, speaking from the diversity of our country, from the soul of who we are as Americans – and really, not in a political way. Really, not Democrats and Republicans, but about America.

Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY), Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, delivers this week’s Democratic Party Address

Rep. Crowley:

“In attacking our Constitution, the fundamental tenets of our democracy and who we are as a people, “President” Trump has dismissed everything we stand for. Everything our ancestors fought for.

“In the face of uncertainty and anger, we’ve seen a new front emerge: people who are united behind our American principles, behind everything that is great in this country, and, perhaps most importantly, united behind each other.

“The past few weeks have been, perhaps, the most significant test of our lifetime.

“A test of our values. A test of who we want to be as a people. And a test of our will.

“In attacking our Constitution, the fundamental tenets of our democracy and who we are as a people, President Trump has dismissed everything we stand for. Everything our ancestors fought for.

“In the face of uncertainty and anger, we’ve seen a new front emerge: people who are united behind our American principles, behind everything that is great in this country, and, perhaps most importantly, united behind each other.

“United because we all know that we are a stronger country because of immigrants.

“United because we know this country has long-prided itself in welcoming the stranger.

“I’m from Queens, New York – a community in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty and a community built by immigrants. And I’m proud to represent it as the son of immigrants.

“When my mother and grandparents came here from Ireland, I doubt they ever dreamed that someday – their son and grandson – would have the honor of walking the halls of Congress. Like today’s immigrant families, they wanted me to have every opportunity possible.

“Immigrants are some of the bravest people I know, because they choose to leave behind everything and face the unknown.

“They leave behind their neighborhoods, their schools, their churches, their synagogues, and mosques. They leave behind their homes.

“And they do it all because they seek the promise that the United States offers them. The promise of opportunity.

“By whatever means our ancestors came here, they gave us a lasting legacy that we can all be proud of. And that we must uphold.

“There’s been a lot of talk lately about what is America, and what is American.

“What’s American is people welcoming refugees and families at arrival gates. It’s lawyers upholding the Constitution from an airport floor and a laptop. It’s young people discovering the need for civic engagement. And children learning that no matter who you are, or where you came from, or what you believe, you are welcome here.

“For all his bluster, President Trump has underestimated the strength and the will of the American people. The actions he’s taken have made our country less safe and have hurt our standing in the world. But they’re also not a reflection of who we are as a country.

“So I promise you we will fight back – we will resist. We will resist on behalf of what is American. And we will resist on behalf of the immigrants who came here in the past, and who will come here in the future.

“My fellow Americans, this is not a political fight – this is a fight for our future.

“This is about our democracy. This is about our country. This is about our people – and making our voices heard.

“And let me tell you: it’s working. And I know this is a fight we will win.

From the opening news conference for the Issues Conference on Wednesday, Nancy Pelosi on the 9th Circuit ruling halting the Republican’s Muslim ban:

The court ruling indicated once again that what the President did was unconstitutional and indeed, in my view, immoral. They were speaking to constitutionality, I’m speaking to values too. Also, it shows the American people whatever you might think about the ban, how the President proceeded with this was not only incompetent, but it was strategically incoherent. […]

Selling the idea that it makes us safer, if you don’t know too much about the issue in which the President is speaking, has a market. But he has a responsibility to protect and defend the American people and the Constitution of the United States. He failed in doing that, the courts rightly ruled and I salute their – but he said, ‘I’ll see you in court,’ so we’ll see what that means.

“Selling the idea that this ban makes us safer has a market”. Indeed – enough of a market that frightened people turned our government over to an immoral party led by an immoral man.

It is our values that unites us – the great majority of the American people. And fear that divides us. Which is stupid because the only way we can overcome what we fear is working together. And of course at each “end” of the spectrum, there are the despots who use fear (threats and temper tantrums) to gain power.

I am so glad we have an experienced “pro” at the helm/in the House right now. We will win few enough battles in the beginning with folks who know what they’re doing. If we had a Congress of noobs, well, Ceiling Cat help us!

In the Senate, too, of course – and to a certain extent even more since the Senate is where we’re likely to be able to do the most damage control. Not likely, just most likely. Schumer isn’t as progressive as I’d like, but he’s left of any R and I’ll take that in an experienced package. (If I’m hitchhiking to San Francisco and stuck in Little Rock, I’m not going to turn down the ride to Texarkana just because they aren’t going to San Francisco.) But if we can get that gavel back in Nancy Pelosi’s hands, watch out world!

I see a lot more good Democratic Senators than “bad” ones. Chris Murphy of Connecticut is excellent and has been a leader on a lot of issues that many Democrats get nervous about: gun control is one of them. He stepped up when Senate Majority Leader went after Elizabeth Warren.

There are very few with a D after the name that I’d call bad. Not as progressive as I’d like? Sure. Bad. no. Even Mark Pryor voted Dem almost 80% of the time. (Now with the Zell Millers and Joe Liebermanns, you got me. They are/were bad. And whatshizzface whose daughter should be investigated for price gouging but probably won’t be by the new AG. He’s bad.)

Hope Tom makes it. I want Ellison where he is – he’s got too much experience that we need in Congress right now. And Tom is an organizer. That’s what we need in the DNC. The right person for the job is always a good idea.

Yes, it does and yes, they are. Whiny, snotty brats who think they should get their way and throw temper tantrums when they don’t. If they were physically kids our side puts them in “time out” and the other side beats them to a pulp – but officially they are adults (just like officially pvl45 is an adult) and I really do not know what can be done about them.

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